Only 10 days ago, US defence officials described their dialogue with China as a love- fest. The two sides had just had their “best ever” talks, said David Sedney, the Pentagon's top official for China.

　　仅10多天前，美国国防官员还将与中国的对话形容为是“友好和值得称赞的”。五角大楼(Pentagon)中国事务负责人谢伟森(David Sedney)表示，双方进行了“有史以来最好的”一次对话。

　　This week, a Chinese military leader called the US “villains” in response to accusations from the Pentagon that Chinese ships had harassed Impeccable, a US Navy survey vessel, in the South China Sea last weekend. Dennis Blair, the national intelligence director and former head of US Pacific Command, said the incident was the “most serious” since the collision of a US spy plane and a Chinese fighter jet over Hainan island in 2001.

　　然而上周，在回应五角大楼指责中国船只于3月9号在南中国海骚扰了美国海军监测船“无瑕号”(Impeccable)时，中国军方一位领导人把美国称为“ 恶人”。美国国家情报总监、美太平洋司令部前总司令丹尼斯•布莱尔(Dennis Blair)则表示，自美国侦察机于2001年与中国战斗机在海南岛上空发生碰撞以来，此次冲突是中美双方“最严重”的一次事件。

　　After initial bursts of outrage, both sides seem determined not to allow the incident to damage broader relations. But it serves as a chilling reminder of the reality in military ties between the world's only superpower and the nation most likely to become its main challenger.

　　在最初的义愤填膺之后，中美双方似乎都决心不让此次事件的损害牵连更广。然而，它再次提醒我们，让我们冷静地认识到中美军事关系的现实(美国是世界上唯一的超级大国，而中国则最有可能成为其主要挑战者)。

　　These ties have a history of cautious steps forward intermingled with stalling and shock disruptions. Mr Sedney's meetings with People's Liberation Army leaders in Beijing last month were, in fact, aimed at bringing bilateral military dialogue back on track after a partial suspension late last year after Washington confirmed its intention to go ahead with certain weapons sales to Taiwan.

　　一向以来，中美军事关在谨慎地往前发展，其间还会出现停滞和突然性的中断。事实上，谢伟森与中国人民解放军领导人上个月在北京的会晤，就是为了将双方军事对话重新带回正轨。在美国政府证实将继续向台湾出售某些武器的意向之后，该对话于去年晚些时候被部分中止。

　　There was, and still is, much reason for optimism that dialogue can become more frequent and meaningful and cover a wider range of topics, say defence officials and scholars.

　　国防官员和学者表示，无论是过去，还是现在，就双方对话变得更加频繁、更加有意义，以及够覆盖更多议题而言，我们有很多理由保持乐观。

　　One is the fact the two sides have started discussing security conditions in Pakistan and Afghanistan, China's backyard, something unheard of earlier. Another is the intensive and detailed bilateral exchanges between a PLA naval anti-piracy mission to the Gulf of Aden and its US counterparts.

　　其中一个理由是，双方已经开始探讨中国后院巴基斯坦和阿富汗安全状况的事实，这是以前没有过的事情。另一个理由是，中国人民解放军在打击亚丁湾(Gulf of Aden) 海盗时，与美国海军进行了密集而详细的双边交流。

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　　“The military relationship is in a phase of adjustment after the Obama administration took office,” says Zhang Minqian, an academic from the University of International Relations, adding that Beijing might have regarded the change of government in the US as an opportunity.

　　来自国际关系学院(University of International Relations)的学者张敏谦表示：“中美军事关系正处于奥巴马(Obama)政府上台后的调整阶段。”他补充称，中国政府可能已经把美国政府的更替视为一次机会。

　　This opportunity coincides with efforts on the part of the PLA to transform itself to fill the role of the armed forces of a major power. As China stated in its defence white paper this year, the country pays increasing attention to non-traditional security threats such as terrorism and piracy.

　　此时，也正值中国人民解放军努力改革，以担负一个主要大国武装力量的职责。正如中国在其今年的国防白皮书里所说，它对恐怖主义和海盗等非传统安全威胁正给与越来越多的关注。

　　It intends to strengthen its naval capability to secure future lines of communication, increase military contacts with other countries and take on ever more responsibility in dealing with regional and global security threats.

　　中国计划加强海军军力，确保未来海洋运输的能力，加大与其它国家的军事联系，并在处理地区和全球安全威胁问题上，担负起更多前所未有的职责。

　　The US has emphasised it welcomes this and hopes to see more of it. Mr Sedney said the US “welcomes China as a global player”.

　　美国强调指出，它欢迎这种做法，并且希望看到更多这样的措施。谢伟森表示，美国“欢迎中国在全球事务中扮演其角色”。

　　These changes, however, will continue to come very gradually, caution experts. “I don't think that China will be satisfying all of the US's expectations with regard to international involvement and responsibility from now on,” says Mr Zhang.

　　但专家警告称，这些改变将是非常缓慢的。张敏谦表示：“我不认为从现在开始，中国将会在国际性参与和责任方面满足美国的所有期望。”

　　The main reason is that distrust runs deep on both sides.

　　主要原因是双方互不信任由来已久。

　　The US continues to feel that China is building a military capability that is not necessary to address the purely defensive strategic goals it claims it has.

　　美国仍然觉得，中国正在打造的军事能力，不只会用于实现所声称的、纯粹的防御性战略目标而言。

　　One example of this is China's apparent desire to own aircraft carriers, again confirmed by growing calls from senior military officials this week that the country was capable of and should build its own carrier.

　　其中一个例子就是中国显然想拥有航空母舰，上周来自高级军事官员不断加大的呼声——中国能够并且应该打造自己的航母——也再次证实了这一想法。

　　The PLA pairs these calls with the assurance that China would not seek hegemony and its military strategy remained defensive.

　　同时，中国人民解放军还表示，中国不会寻求霸权，以及不会改变防御性的军事战略。

　　But US military officials are not convinced. Washington also accuses China regularly of hiding part of its military expenditure and failing to explain what it is really doing.

　　然而，美国军事官员对此并不信服。美国政府还指责中国经常隐藏部分军事开支，并且没有对此真实用途作出解释。

　　“It is not natural for these people to reveal anything,” said a military source in frequent contact with the PLA.

　　一位与中国人民解放军有着频繁接触的军事消息来源表示：“对于这些人来说，他们可不习惯对任何事情作出披露。”

　　The feeling of unease is mutual. “In the past, we would dig ourselves in but there is no one invading now,” says Peng Guangqian, a military scholar with close ties to the PLA.

　　这种不安的感觉是相互的。与人民解放军关系密切的军事学者彭光谦表示：“在过去，我们会做好准备，但现在没有人会发动侵略了。”

　　“In the era of globalisation, we are interdependent. However, none of us likes it deep in our hearts. It is like a marriage without love,” Mr Peng added.

　　他补充表示：“在全球化时代，我们相互依赖。然而，在内心深处，我们当中的任何一方都不喜欢这种依赖。它就像一个没有爱的婚姻。